Given that we don’t have any real NBA games in progress right now, I thought I’d post a video of a surreal NBA moment.
Check this 2006 footage out as Kwame Brown (Los Angeles Lakers) not only catches the basketball on the break, but also manages to slam it down successfully, all over Andres Nocioni (Chicago Bulls). In addition to these unusual facts, the following is notable:
- Kobe passed the ball to a teammate — he didn’t do much of that in 2006.
- Is there really reason for a charge call here, or is this a matter of the NBA officials trying to give an advantage to the exciting play? Yes, Nocioni was standing in the “no charge” semi-circle, but he did not move, consequently, I’d call this a no-call more than anything else.
Watching Kwame in action also led me to ask the question: Is Kwame Brown the least talented #1 Draft Pick in NBA history? Take note, I’m not asking if he is the most disappointing (before you jump in and blurt Greg Oden’s name), but just whether he is the least talented. I think it’s fair to say that Michael Olowokandi is in with a chance in this race, though his best season (2002/03 Clippers: 12.3ppg, 9.1rpg, 2.2bpg) was far better than anything that Kwame has produced.
Who do you think is the least talented #1 pick ever? To help you along, here are the number one picks since 1970.
| First Overall Selections, Year-by-Year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Lg | Team | First Pick | College |
| 2011 | NBA | Cleveland Cavaliers | Kyrie Irving | Duke University |
| 2010 | NBA | Washington Wizards | John Wall | University of Kentucky |
| 2009 | NBA | Los Angeles Clippers | Blake Griffin | University of Oklahoma |
| 2008 | NBA | Chicago Bulls | Derrick Rose | University of Memphis |
| 2007 | NBA | Portland Trail Blazers | Greg Oden | Ohio State University |
| 2006 | NBA | Toronto Raptors | Andrea Bargnani | |
| 2005 | NBA | Milwaukee Bucks | Andrew Bogut | University of Utah |
| 2004 | NBA | Orlando Magic | Dwight Howard | |
| 2003 | NBA | Cleveland Cavaliers | LeBron James | |
| 2002 | NBA | Houston Rockets | Yao Ming | |
| 2001 | NBA | Washington Wizards | Kwame Brown | |
| 2000 | NBA | New Jersey Nets | Kenyon Martin | University of Cincinnati |
| 1999 | NBA | Chicago Bulls | Elton Brand | Duke University |
| 1998 | NBA | Los Angeles Clippers | Michael Olowokandi | University of the Pacific |
| 1997 | NBA | San Antonio Spurs | Tim Duncan | Wake Forest University |
| 1996 | NBA | Philadelphia 76ers | Allen Iverson | Georgetown University |
| 1995 | NBA | Golden State Warriors | Joe Smith | University of Maryland |
| 1994 | NBA | Milwaukee Bucks | Glenn Robinson | Purdue University |
| 1993 | NBA | Orlando Magic | Chris Webber | University of Michigan |
| 1992 | NBA | Orlando Magic | Shaquille O’Neal | Louisiana State University |
| 1991 | NBA | Charlotte Hornets | Larry Johnson | University of Nevada, Las Vegas |
| 1990 | NBA | New Jersey Nets | Derrick Coleman | Syracuse University |
| 1989 | NBA | Sacramento Kings | Pervis Ellison | University of Louisville |
| 1988 | NBA | Los Angeles Clippers | Danny Manning | University of Kansas |
| 1987 | NBA | San Antonio Spurs | David Robinson | United States Naval Academy |
| 1986 | NBA | Cleveland Cavaliers | Brad Daugherty | University of North Carolina |
| 1985 | NBA | New York Knicks | Patrick Ewing | Georgetown University |
| 1984 | NBA | Houston Rockets | Hakeem Olajuwon | University of Houston |
| 1983 | NBA | Houston Rockets | Ralph Sampson | University of Virginia |
| 1982 | NBA | Los Angeles Lakers | James Worthy | University of North Carolina |
| 1981 | NBA | Dallas Mavericks | Mark Aguirre | DePaul University |
| 1980 | NBA | Golden State Warriors | Joe Barry Carroll | Purdue University |
| 1979 | NBA | Los Angeles Lakers | Magic Johnson | Michigan State University |
| 1978 | NBA | Portland Trail Blazers | Mychal Thompson | University of Minnesota |
| 1977 | NBA | Milwaukee Bucks | Kent Benson | Indiana University |
| 1976 | NBA | Houston Rockets | John Lucas | University of Maryland |
| 1975 | NBA | Atlanta Hawks | David Thompson | North Carolina State University |
| 1974 | NBA | Portland Trail Blazers | Bill Walton | University of California, Los Angeles |
| 1973 | NBA | Philadelphia 76ers | Doug Collins | Illinois State University |
| 1972 | NBA | Portland Trail Blazers | LaRue Martin | Loyola University of Chicago |
| 1971 | NBA | Cleveland Cavaliers | Austin Carr | University of Notre Dame |
| 1970 | NBA | Detroit Pistons | Bob Lanier | St. Bonaventure University |
